Rujuta Durwas ’22
College Major Selection: Biology, Pre-medicine Track
Dear Future IMSA Scholars,
Mathematical Investigations III, Clash of the Halls, IN2, 05 Slabs, Ancient World Religions and Philosophy, Culture Shows, Advanced Biological Systems, 10:00 p.m. hard check, may all seem extremely foreign to you right now. But after your first few weeks on this campus built from the tight-knit community, you won’t be a stranger to terms like those. Walking onto this campus can naturally initiate feelings of intimidation and overwhelmingness because you are entering a community with students filled with intellect and thirst for academic challenges, just like you. But these moments of timidness are brief as you immerse yourself into the classes you are in, the clubs you participate in, and get introduced to the culture you will be a part of.
IMSA offers opportunities that most schools in Illinois are not able to offer, such as the Student Inquiry and Research program which allows students who are juniors and seniors to work with an on-campus teacher, or a professor at an off-campus university on a research project of their interest.
There are a multitude of clubs that are more STEM inclined such as Science Olympiad, Med Society, Girls IN2 Stem, Girls Who Code etc. All of these clubs encourage students to exercise their STEM interest and skills through events and/or competitions. Clubs like Student Ambassadors, Allies, TALENT, and Dialekt involve external connections in nearby cities whether it be teaching young students about engineering or highlighting important entrepreneurship ideas to current IMSA Students. These are barely an eighth of all of the clubs IMSA has, which truly gives an insight as to how vast and diverse the IMSA community is.
Additionally, there are plenty of chances for you to get in touch with your culture, or get introduced to other cultures. Culture clubs such as ISA, ASIA, BSU, and Alma Latina, organize annual culture shows which are filled with students, just like you and I, dancing, singing, and performing other cultural art forms. These are perfect for students who want to try something new and get to know more people. And aside from those shows, many other culture clubs included, will hold events throughout the year to spread their traditions across campus.
Throughout my years at IMSA, I have created many memories that are connected to the clubs I took part in and the traditions I learned about, however, some of my dearest memories were spent in my wing at 12:00 a.m. making ramen while working on a math problem set or taking a walk on access road while blasting my favorite songs with my friends. The little moments are treasured just as much as everything we are offered at this school. IMSA is the place where you can enjoy yourself, push yourself, and catalyze your growth in all aspects of life.
Remember that when you apply to IMSA, you are applying to be a part of a place that will be your home with friends who will become family. And even if it takes you three years to realize it, every win here is bigger than any loss you may face.
Best of Luck 🙂
